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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29931786">The Only Exception</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ranpoandpoe/pseuds/hikawasrinko'>hikawasrinko (ranpoandpoe)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Transdori Week 2021 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Daddy Issues, F/F, IT'S GOODBYE SAD WORLD TIME, Nonbinary Seta Kaoru, Personality Swap, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Trans Okusawa Misaki, Transdori Week 2021</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:22:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,584</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29931786</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ranpoandpoe/pseuds/hikawasrinko</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>#KOKORO (goodbye sad world): i want everyone to frown!!!! except u misaki ur an angel and we're thrilled to have u here &lt;3</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Okusawa Misaki/Tsurumaki Kokoro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Transdori Week 2021 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2200932</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Only Exception</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>transdori week 2021 - day 5: character swap / reflection</p><p>thanks @Rissuuu for this art work (and the goodbye sad world concept)!!! it 100% was what inspired this fanfic lol https://twitter.com/Rissuuu/status/1214909534243680257?s=20</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The Tsurumaki household is the only one in the bunch that can host the Goodbye, Sad World’s rehearsals, as it has both space and the instruments and gadgets necessary. All of the group knows that, which includes Kokoro, the vocalist and owner of the house. She’s a private person, but the house’s big enough for her to keep her privacy—one of the perks of having rich, absent parents who should honestly just get divorced already. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anyway, there are her four bandmates, standing by her door, surprisingly at the same time, considering they’d scheduled no specific time except ‘in the afternoon’. “Sup.” Kokoro greets deadpanned. Hagumi and Kanon respond with equal enthusiasm, whereas Kaoru quotes a random Shakespeare quote they have memorised but don’t understand—like hell they’d pay attention to the literature class—and Misaki, who has a wide smile on her face, without a hint of malice unlike everyone else in the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All of them know it’s time to come in when Kokoro takes a slight step to the side, but it’s enough for them to pass. The next few minutes are quiet, with all of the members sitting down on the floor despite the many chairs neatly organised in the room. “So,” Misaki breaks the ice. Her voice contains the enthusiasm the others lack. “What are we gonna write about today?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something to be frowned upon, most certainly,” Kaoru replies with a grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d only practice playing today,” Hagumi interrupts before Misaki, who’s already creeped out by the creepy grin in Kaoru’s face, does. “My head’s fucked ‘cuz of dodgeball. Some bastard thought it’d be funny to aim for my head.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aw, the baby’s hurt?” Kanon mocks, receiving a punch from the child of butchers. It hurts, but she doesn’t let it show. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hagumi, though, grins after doing so. “You should’ve seen the other guy, if you think this is hurt.” She’s obviously indulged with the memory. “I can’t write, but I sure can play. The bastard? He’ll need help to even get dressed and brush his teeth, screaming for mommy. Exactly like he was after the game, actually.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone but Misaki laughs, clearly indulged. She doesn’t know if she should find that boy and apologize for her bandmates’ behavior or if he’d had it coming. “O-ok, so… music room?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kokoro gets up and turns around, not even needing to say the others are supposed to follow—they know.  After walking for a bit more than three minutes, they arrive at the room. Soon enough, Misaki’s in the black bear suit that makes her look more like a member of the band and they start playing: Hagumi hits the cords of her bass so loudly and furiously that no one would guess she’s with a headache and Kokoro screams about the government and lesbianism like her life depends on it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s hard for Misaki (Michelle, the name she’d carefully chosen for her bear persona) to keep up with the others in intensity, but finds within herself the will to do it. Except that, a few hours later, she requests for a pause. She can do it, but not without water. Kokoro smirks, surprisingly amused at that, and does as requested.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kaoru-san,” Misaki calls out after her first sip of water. “You must’ve been wearing this binder for eight hours already. You should take it off during our break.” The DJ’s niceness and concern always gets her fellow band members surprised and blushy, which is exactly what happens. Though Kaoru’s shoulders tense up at the mention of the chest compression accessory, they gulp and nod on their way to the bathroom—unlike Kanon, they have the way there memorized, not needing to be guided by the Suits or Kokoro herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the meantime, Hagumi plays with Kanon’s drums, clearly needing to release some energy, as the owner of the instrument gives her advice on how to play it rhythmically. “Hi, Kokoro,” Misaki calls the vocalist, looking afraid of being lonely, without anyone to talk to, during the pause. Cute, Kokoro thinks but immediately represses the thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Misaki.” She acknowledges. “You’ve been good today. Practiced during the weekend?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck, </span>
  </em>
  <span>there it is: the pathetic compliment and pleasantries. It will certainly not go unnoticed by Misaki. She’s scared for a second, then the DJ smiles in that way only she knows how to, closing her eyes a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, thanks…” Awkward silence—followed by an even more awkward question. At least, it’s how Misaki’s felt about it. “Um, I’ve been wanting to ask you something.” The nonchalant look Kokoro shoots means to go ahead. “Why did you start the band?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The question is blunt, unlike Misaki. She’s usually careful, as if everything is fragile and about to break, which isn’t something Kokoro is used to, being treated like that. The question is also a difficult one. She finally thinks of an answer that matches the reputation she’s built. “To make the world frown,” It’s kind of a joke, but there’s nothing in Kokoro’s body language that points that out so, with the confused look in Misaki’s face, she explains. “I mean, the world fucking sucks and everyone’s just so </span>
  <em>
    <span>happy. </span>
  </em>
  <span>When you’re happy and satisfied you don’t change things, y’know. Everything sucks and if people are smiling around like fools, then that’ll never change. So, my mission is to make everyone miserable. No exceptions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Misaki doesn’t want to be sad, neither does she want the tears to start leaving her eyes, but she can’t stop it. All her bandmates are so tough and mighty, a group where even a giggle is a sign of weakness—of </span>
  <em>
    <span>emotion</span>
  </em>
  <span>—crying won’t be accepted. Not that it’s happened before, so it’s just Misaki’s guess. Her parents are always demanding her not to cry, they’ve been doing it from a young age, and she must confess that it feels good to have that little rebellious act: if boys don’t cry, dad, then it’s settled that I’m a freaking girl. It goes back to being just sad when the thought reminds her that she still wants her parents’ approval. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’s so caught up in her thoughts and in stopping herself from crying that she doesn’t even realize when Kokoro looks to the side and sees the tears in her eyes alongside the sobbing and the hiccups caused by the attempts of stopping the tears from coming. Misaki expects to be teased, at best, maybe even kicked out of the band in the worst case scenario, but instead Kokoro just seems to panic. The girl—girl and sungender, maybe both at the same time—who looks like she knows how to act in every situation, who never </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>loses her cool, has a panicked look in her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, no-”  She starts, realizing what’s happened. Her fingers awkwardly—then shyly—crawl to Misaki’s cheeks, cupping her face. “Except you! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck—</span>
  </em>
  <span>I—Listen, not you, and not the… uh—not the kids we helped. The ones in the orphanage, the hospitals and shit. Okay? The world sucks, but that’s because there are… those people, who are living in subhuman ways, which they obviously shouldn’t, and people aren’t helping them. But you aren’t like them! You’re helping. You made all those kids smile, remember?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kokoro isn’t sure why she’s doing all that effort—actually, she does, but pretends not to, because it’s easier to deal with. Misaki is the exception in many, </span>
  <em>
    <span>many </span>
  </em>
  <span>things, and that includes being the one person she doesn’t want to be miserable. In fact, it’s the opposite: she won’t allow her to be miserable, ever. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not only that, but she’s also the exception at making Kokoro break promises: upon seeing her parents fighting and being terrible, especially to each other, she promises, as a kid, not to sing for love. She’ll only use music as a wake up call, to show everyone how truly horrifying the world is and trigger them to change it. No Disney-worthy love songs to be played on a piano, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>angry </span>
  </em>
  <span>ones. To be the savior of the broken, the beaten and the damned, all that shit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then, without even noticing, words of yearning are marked in the page of the notebook instead of the usual pissed off ones and she wants to throw something at someone. Unfortunately, not Misaki—never Misaki. The smile is finally back on her face, though, and Kaoru is getting back to the room, which takes Hagumi and Kanon out of their game of playing pretend with each other’s instruments. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pause is over. The members are all back at their places: Misaki with a water bottle on the floor close to her feet, Kanon hitting the drums anxiously. Kokoro looks at the mic and that makes her think of the previous night: love songs full of yearning, lyrics full of the word ‘love’, one stubborn enough to claim a space inside the vocalist’s head without even paying rent. Not that she wants to be more of a rich ass landlord than she already is because of her parents. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While the loud voice leaves her throat, she knows that keeping the promise of never to sing for love is impossible to keep. Every note that leaves her mouth just screams love. Everything she does is for love, to alert people of dangers and to comfort them if the first one’s already happened. And, especially, she sings it for the girl dressed in a bear costume a few meters away, who, by herself, is love.</span>
</p>
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